Happy Birthday India!

Happy Birthday India!!

Yes, today my first baby, 

India,
turns 19 years old.

Don't mind me, 

but

I am a bit wistful.

Where did my baby go?

 I went looking through old pictures

to find that baby face again.

So please bear with me, 

as I waltz down memory lane with my girl.

This picture was taken at the 

Healdsburg Preschool Co-op.

She was a very yummy 3 year old here.

India was about 18 month old in this picture.

We were in Oak Harbor visiting 

Don's Aunt Kris and Aunt Jeanne.

And yes, I was one of 

those mothers.

I had to keep India on a leash because

she was so friendly and inquisitive,

that she would run to total strangers and kiss them.

She is much better about that now! 

She was about 6 months old here and those eyes 

captivated me then,

just as much as they captivate me now.

India and her cousin Tyler have always

been best buddies.

This is one of my favorite pictures of them.

It was taken right before we moved to Denver

to work at Calvary Temple.

India could barely stand the thought 

that we were going to be 

so far away.

India loved ballet and when we lived

in Chicago,

she danced at Miss Jenny's Dance Studio.

This was an Asian inspired dance to the Nutcracker.

I can't actually remember where this was taken, 

but it was before Ahnalin joined our family.

 

Shortly after India was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes,

Uncle Christian surprised her with 

a chance to see her favorite band,

Superchic(K).

In 6th grade, she fell "Dashing into Love"

with her prince Nelson.

And then, when Ahnalin arrived,

India became the

BEST BIG SISTER IN THE WORLD!

Just like her mama, 

she loves to sing!

But she is better than I am.

A few summers ago, we had a girls night

at a Jonas Brothers concert.

I won't show you the picture she took of me,

but I was smocking at the concert. 

She thinks I am a big dork!

Always one to fully immerse herself

in a role, India dyed her 

hair black so she could portray 

Anne Boleyn.

Undeniably,

one of the proudest moments

of my entire life, was watching

my India sing "Defying Gravity"

when she produced and directed

"Showstoppers" last fall.

From the day she was diagnosed

with Type 1, India had been dreaming 

and planning of putting on a 

Broadway style review

to raise funds for the Diabetic Youth Foundation. 

Showstoppers was also her senior project

for graduation.

And she was INCREDIBLE!!!!

Defying Gravity is one of her theme songs

and really addresses how she views life.

I am SO PROUD of my girl!

And then in June,

my baby graduated! 

My baby! 

I know she is not a baby anymore,

and is in fact,

a grown woman.

But she will always be my baby. 

And today,

my baby turned 19.

Happy Birthday 

my precious girl.

I love you.

Love, 

Mommy.

Puppy Dogs For Autumn

Two little orange dresses for Autumn.

I love them. 

I mean, I REALLY love them!

 

I fell in love with this fabric,

"City Dogs", 

from Heather Ross' line called 

"Lightening Bugs and Other Mysteries,

a few years ago at Harts Fabric in Santa Cruz, CA.

I had to buy it because of this little guy.

You see, my brother and sis-in-love have two Doxies 

and a little girl who needs a dress with Doxies!

But, I have a bit of a fabric problem.

I love my fabric so much, probably too much,

(let's not talk about idolatry, ok?),

so I was afraid to cut into it.

Yes, this fabric is lusciously soft with vibrant colors 

and a quirky sense of humor. 

But it was not doing anyone any good, 

hidden away in my stash.

(Hm... burying my talent- think about the Parables...)

And I am participating, in a very mild way,

in the Sewing Mamas Stash Game.

Stash Game is when we Sewing Mamas put ourselves

on a 1 month fabric purchasing fast, and 

do our best to reduce our fabric stashes. 

Some Mamas sew like blazes and accomplish 

great amounts of sewing. 

Not me. 

But I have not purchased any fabric this month either, 

just a few notions and some more labels.

So, I decided now was the time to cut into this yummy fabric!

For my Doxie-loving niecy-poo,

I chose a traditional yoke dress pattern.

I used McCall's Stitch 'n Save M5020.

And I embellished with,

yeah, I know.....Brown Rickrack!

This little pattern is discontinued, but 

is very similar to many other yoke dress patterns on the market.

Really, these little bloomers are not wonky,

but they look like it because the mannequin stand is going through one leg.

This little bloomer has a one piece front and a one piece back.

I LOVE bloomers on chubby toddler legs!
I can't wait to see them on my niecy!

For Ahnalin, I chose Simplicity 3588.

There are a few different views in this pattern, 

but Ahnalin chose this Asian influenced look.

I love the copper buttons and vintage

brown piping.

Ahnalin chose this 3/4 length bell sleeve

with this gathered shoulder detail.

I made a size 6, but should have made a size 4 in the 6 length. 

But I think it suits my little girl well.

This pattern went together really well.
The instructions were well written as well.

However, just as I usually do, 

I fully lined the bodice, 

so that the seams would not scratch my girl.

She told me that she wants the leaves to turn orange to match

her new dress.

Soon it will be time to wear tights with her Autumn dresses.

I wish I had a good camera so that I could really take nice pictures,

but you can tell that she loves to pose.....

......and twirl.

Ahnalin plans to wear this to church tomorrow!

I had better get back to work. 

I am in the midst of pattern testing 

for a friend

and sewing lots of birthday presents for this weekend.

I will post those in a day or so.

Ahnalin is begging me to get off the computer so she can sew.......

Happy Sewing!

Ahnalin's Denim Skirt

Isn't this a cute skirt?

In July, India cut off a pair of her jeans to make 

cuffed capris and I could not throw away

the long scraps of the legs.

So, to prove that I am just frugal and creative,

instead of the crazy fabric hoarder that I could possibly

be labeled,

I created this skirt.

All I had to do was cut open each leg,

place them right sides together,

sew up the sides,

and make an elastic casing.

Easy Peasy!

I added rickrack and ribbon.

And VOILA!!!

A cute skirt for my Ahnalin!

Do you recognize the vest?

I made it last year because 

her Kindergarten theme was 

"Gentle Giraffes". 

Her K teacher, Ms. Mass

asked me to make this vest for the 

"Student of the Day".

At the end of the year,
Ahnalin got to bring it home.

She still loves it, so it worked well for this outfit.

Is it just me, or does my baby look more and more

like a "Big Girl" every day?

I have LOTS to show you so I will have another post for tomorrow.

Tonight, HRH and I are off to a 

music and worship conference at 

Bayside Church in Granite Bay.

Yep, I am calling it a date!

Happy Sewing!

I Remember

Mending Bankie

I love to sew.

And I love being a Mama. 

But,

I DO NOT love to mend. 

Mending is boring. 

Mending is not creative.

Mending is not glamorous.

But, I love my girls. 

And as a Mama, sometimes, I need to mend things.

India's Bankie (Blanket) has been her closest friend since she

received it at 2 years of age.

Grandma (my mom) sewed it 

for her and embroidered the back so she would 

always know that "G & G" (Grandma and Grandpa)

love her very much. 

When she was little, 

she would snuggle up in it and grin,

saying "G and G are hugging me in my Bankie".

Here she is with Bankie in Chicago, when we 
were candidating for a music pastor job, before
we moved there.

This was in our 1863 house in New Hope, PA, 
when she was 9.


Bankie has been with her each time she was in the hospital, each
move to a new house and church, 
each sleepover. 

When Grandma made the blanket originally, 

she used polyester satin blanket binding.

India LOVED the satiny trim and would rub it

between her fingers. 

And she literally "loved the stuffin's out of it"!

Yes, I am aware that my first baby will be 19 in just a few weeks.

But she loves her Bankie.

So, when she came to me, holding her treasured

and nearly shredded best friend,

I had to set aside my "fun" sewing (as in, pretty dresses)

and repair, er, 

MEND, 

Bankie.

Such a simple thing, to mend a Bankie.

Yet Bankie is the cozy object that has been there 
every time she was afraid, or sad, or sleepy.


Bankie has always been there to "mend" 
her broken heart, to wipe tears, or 
to warm her cold toes.

So, what else can a Mama do, 
but lovingly mend that faithful Bankie?


India, even though you are almost all grown up,
you are still my first baby.

I am glad that I can mend your Bankie for you,
and make you smile. 


I love you, Dida.

Modkids Sydney For My Ahnalin

Ahnalin has fallen in love with the Modkids Sydney pattern and

has been begging me to sew it up for her.

As Autumn is just around the corner, 

and Ahnalin refuses to wear jeans,

I thought I would sneak in some denim another way.

We paired the denim, which has been in my stash for quite some time,

with Patty Young's Double Border Daisy in Lime

 from her "Flora and Fauna" line for Michael Miller fabrics.

And being me, I had to add some rick rack. 

 

Ahnalin is crazy about the hood!

 

So we got lots of goofy pictures!

 

Oh those eyes just capture me! 

(And did I mention that 5 years ago today, she became our baby!)

But she was a bit frustrated that she could not find flowers

in our yard that matched the fabric.

 

 

 

  

As Ahnalin struggles with sensory issues, I have to line

everything she wears. 

This pattern has an unlined bodice and that would not

do for my girly. 

So, I just made a lining using the same front and back pattern

pieces, and captured the hood in between those layers.

I also added a button and used fold-over-elastic to make a button loop.

Ahnalin is long and thin, so I cut her dress in a size 5 for 

width and a size 6 in length. 

The size 6 hits her right at the knee. 

I LOVE this pattern and plan to make more for my girly girl!

Happy Sewing!